It was a small but dynamic weekend of Championship action, highlighted by an early top-of-the-table clash, with a twist.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the iconic Space Jam film, the London Lions got the Looney Tunes treatment. Plus, Liverpool Basketball welcomed the British basketball community into their new home, with the Newcastle Eagles the visitors.
London Lions 82-76 Bristol Flyers
London Lions nearly let a 19-point advantage slip but hung on to defeat the Bristol Flyers 82-76 at the CopperBox Arena in the sole SLB action on Saturday.
In front of more than 4,000 fans, the Lions played the aggressors and took an early double-digit lead, which they held for most of the game, despite brief spells of danger from Bristol.
Those brief spells became very real when the Flyers roared back in the latter stages of the fourth and cut the deficit to 73-70 with four minutes to play, thanks to an inspired Davion Bailey, who played like a man possessed.
However, the Lions withstood the pressure, led by Joel Scott and Deane Williams, to push past the finish line. Williams finished with 17 points for the victors. Bailey led all scorers for Bristol with 30 points.
MVP: Deane Williams (London Lions)
Liverpool Basketball 77-74 Newcastle Eagles
Liverpool Basketball showed tremendous fighting spirit as they fought back from 14 points down to beat the Newcastle Eagles 77-74 at the M&S Bank Arena on Sunday.
In their first home game as a franchise, Newcastle dictated the game and led for most of it. Then, in the final period, the hosts suddenly woke up and, in the dying moments, drilled three straight triples to take a 76-74 lead, which they kept for good.
Pat Robinson led Liverpool with 21 points, while Tevin Olison chipped in 18 on his debut. Trevond Barnes had 21 for Newcastle.
MVP: Pat Robinson (Liverpool Basketball)
Leicester Riders 87-89 Manchester Basketball
Rewinding to Friday, Manchester Basketball escaped the East Midlands with a narrow 89-87 win over the Leicester Riders.
A bucket inside from Jonathan Brown with under 40 seconds left gave Manchester an 88-84 lead as they looked to ice the game, but the Riders wouldn’t lie down. Instead, they attempted one last desperation fightback but fell short as Manchester survived in a game where neither side enjoyed a lead bigger than seven points.
Keon Thompson Jr. amassed 22 points and six assists for the winners, as they had a great contribution from their bench, which added 31 points to their 89 in total.
Deante Johnson Jr. shot an impressive 8-for-13 from the field as he paced Leicester with 21 points and six rebounds, but the Riders now fall to 0-6, which ties their second-worst start to the Championship in the club’s history.
MVP: Keon Thompson Jr. (Leicester Riders)
Newcastle Eagles 82-55 Surrey 89ers
Newcastle Eagles overcame the Surrey 89ers 82-55 at the Vertu Motors Arena in the other Friday night game.
Jalen Graham scored Surrey’s first points to make it 2-0 early doors, but that was as good as it got for the visitors, as the Eagles stamped their authority on the game and quickly built a double-digit lead they never relinquished.
Newcastle’s lead peaked at 35 points as Blondeau Tchoukuiegno led the way with 18 points and four assists, with Mitch Clarke chipping in with 17.
Cayden Charles was the sole Niners player in double figures, leading with 14 points, but Surrey couldn’t get going on a night when they shot just 32% from the field.
MVP: Blondeau Tchoukuiegno (Newcastle Eagles)
Cheshire Phoenix 91-107 Surrey 89ers
Despite the loss on Tyneside under 48 hours earlier, the Surrey 89ers bounced back emphatically to dismiss the Cheshire Phoenix 107-91 in Ellesmere Port.
Addy Patterson paced the Niners with 20 points on 50% shooting, leading six Surrey players in double figures as they took an early double-digit lead over a shell-shocked Phoenix side who were not at the races, despite shooting 54% from the field.
Surrey shot an absurd 40 three-pointers, connecting on 16 of those attempts, but managed to score 20 points off 19 Cheshire turnovers, which was the difference. Jaylen Searles led the Phoenix with 15 points.
MVP: Addy Patterson (Surrey 89ers)